Tell Governor Fallin: Revoke the permit for the Thumbs Up Ranch coal ash landfill.
A toxic coal ash landfill at the "Thumbs Up Ranch" near Bokoshe is a huge Thumbs Down for the health of Oklahoma families.
But despite the fact that an astonishing 14 of the 20 families that live closest to the landfill have had cancer, and HALF of the children at the local elementary school suffer from asthma, Governor Fallin has allowed this dangerous coal ash dump to remain in operation.1
Bokoshe residents recently filed a class action lawsuit against the landfill's owner several and other companies involved with the dump.2 But they are suffering from the consequences of the Thumbs Up Ranch's dirty coal pollution now -- and they don't have time to wait for the lawsuit to be resolved.
Tell Governor Fallin: Direct the Department of Mines to shut down the Thumbs Up Ranch coal ash dump.
While the lawsuit moves forward, Governor Fallin needs to take control of the situation and shut the landfill down.
Due to the dump's location on top of a mine reclamation site, the Department of Mines has partial jurisdiction. Under a legally questionable permit, 80 huge trucks per day drive through the small town of Bokoshe before dumping coal ash from the nearby Shady Point coal plant onto the six story tall pile of toxic waste.3
Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal that contains arsenic, mercury and lead and is known to cause cancer, birth defects and other serious health problems.3
Shirley, a Bokoshe woman with lymphoma, was interviewed earlier this year by ABC News. "For me it's too late, you know. But my children, grandchildren, I want them to be healthy," she said.
Tell Governor Fallin: Direct the Department of Mines to shut down the Thumbs Up Ranch coal ash dump.
1. Oklahoma Town Fears Cancer, Asthma May Be Linked to Dump Site, ABC News, March 29, 2011
2. News for Immediate Release, In the Air We Breathe, November 1, 2011
3. Oklahoma Town Fights Coal Ash, Grist, October 7, 2011
4. Coal Ash and Bokoshe, OK, Center for Energy Matters
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The petition reads:
"The coal ash landfill at the Thumbs up Ranch near Bokoshe, Oklahoma is poisoning the community and making people sick. I urge you to immediately instruct the Department of Mines to revoke the landfill's permit, and to do everything else in your power to protect Oklahomans from dirty coal pollution."
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